Behind every claim, every argument, even self-contradictory or self-defeating ones, there are fundamental facts that cannot be escaped: stuff exists (existence,

Behind every claim, every argument, even self-contradictory or self-defeating ones, there are fundamental facts that cannot be escaped: stuff exists (existence, Parmenides), it acts and changes in accordance with its nature (identity, Aristotle), and we're aware of existents in some form (consciousness, Socrates and/or his "secretary" Plato). Given this, when someone tries to tell you that there is nothing (or only an ineffable higher dimension) to be truly aware of, or that causality is a baffling myth, or that there is only really matter not awareness -- you know the argument is fallacious or arbitrary (not even wrong!) and doesn't deserve serious inquiry. What faculty --other than consciousness-- would one use to inquire into the nature and existence of consciousness?